Creation of marbleized patterns from semifluid substances



. Aug 1% 39490 c. c. A. REETZ CREATION OF MARBLEIZED PATTERNS FROM SEMIFLUID SUBSTANCES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 2L, 1944 INVENTOR. Reef we w; ,9 e h S 2 C. C. A. REETZ CREATION OF MARBLEIZED PATTERNS FROM SEMIFLUID SUBSTANCES Aug. 16, 1949.

Flled Nov 21, 194

HIM

Patented Aug. 16, 1949 2,479,261 CREATION OF MARBILEIZED PATTERNS FROM SEMIFLUID SUBSTANCES I Y Conrad C. A. Reetz, Seattle, Wash, assignor of one-half to Lawrence A. Bloom,'Seattle, Wash.

Application November 21, manna-564. 535

Claims. (01. iii-"48.8)

This invention relates to the art of mixing, particularly the art of mixing substances of a semifluid nature, and its general object is to devise a machine functional to harmoniously blend separate streams of differently colored matter and from such blending create a marbleized mass. More especiallystated, it is the object of the invention to provide a machine operative to accomplish its said marbleizing function by converting each of the several streams of semifluid matter into multiple strips, maintaining individuality as between these strips throughout a period necessary to effect heterogeneous distribution, and thereafter interlacing these various strips into a commingled whole. 7

Further and still more particular objectsan advantages are inherent to the invention and, with the foregoing, will appear and be understood in the course of thefollowing description and claims, the invention consisting in the new process of marbleizing semifluid substances and in the novel construction, adaptation and combination of parts comprising the machine for practicing same, and as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: 1 Figures 1, 2 and 3 are views taken partly in section and partly in elevation-fragmentary as respects Figs. 1 and 3to portray a machine having its parts arranged and constructed in accord ance with the now preferred embodiment of the invention; and y 7 Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are horizontal sections taken on the respective lines 44, 5-5, and 6--B of Fig. 3. r

It may be here pointed out that the invention relates especially to the marbleizing-of ice cream, and for which there is :a constant demand, but lends itself with equal efiiciency to substantially any semifluid substance which, following working .three being shown, and'of these tubes one constitutes an outer casing member and is indicated in the drawing by the numeral 1, a second tube, denoted 8, is sleeved therein, and a third tube, designated 9, is in turn sleeved within the tube 8.

vThe tubes are assembled from the head endby :slipping one" within another and provide 'a ground-joint fit; as between a tapering shoulder produced uponthe underside of head prominences of the tubes 8 and 9 and mating seats therefor provided by;the.tubes;1 and 8, respectively. Clamping nuts l'fi an'd II are suitably applied to the assembly. The relationship as between the tubes is such' as will assure a relatively snug fit while admitting, to a ready dismantling for purposes of cleaning.

First describing the outer tube which, as aforesaid, serves the oflice-of acasing, the same is given a comparatively uniform diameter through out the greater part'of the length and at the bottom narrows down and terminates in a somewhat constricted discharge neck I 2. Provided on this neck are external threads permitting of the joinder thereto of a discharge conduit (not shown) which, either directly or through branch lines, is arranged and adapted to carry the output of the machine to cups orother like receptacles acting as molds. Proximate to the casings head end and located at equidistantly spaced intervals of the circumference are a pluralityof branch inlets l3 (four by preference), and these inlet branches are suitably formed, as by external threads; for accommodatingthe detachable connection of feed lines (not shown) through which are supplied-under pressure-differently colored streams 'of the substance to be worked. In the instance of ice cream, a pressure of from to pounds has been found to be the most desirable, and with the cream being under a temperature condition approximating 24 F. The creams may be of a different color in the case of each separate line, or thediametrically opposite inlet branches may both handle a cream of. the same color characteristic.

Received through the open mouth of this casing member 1, and arranged to find lodgment in the basal end thereof is a vaned structure presenting blades l4 radiating from a center-bored hub, and carried bythis hub and projecting upwardly therefrom is a shaft H). To lie in surmounting relation to the vanes,a pair of axially spaced screw-worms, as [Band H, are journaled for freerotation' upo'n'the exposed end 'of the shaft, and the spiral development of the webs which constitute these worms is such as will describe right and left-hand threads, respectively.

'Each of the worms is encased in an annular sleeve, as I6 and I1, and these sl'eeves fit rather .freely, the lower sleeve within the tube I andthe supper sleeve within thetube '8, and by which it will be apparent'that'this latter tube is given 'a 3 shortened length by comparison with the outer tube 1.

The second said tube, internally considered, is of a relatively uniform diameter top to bottom, but upon its external surface presents a rather intricate system of grooves emanating toward the upper end, and which is to say at the lower limit of a solid collar I 8 formed thereon, andcarrying therefrom throughout the length of the body, the collar being of a length to terminate at or about the upper limit of the branch inlet openings.

I do not mean to imply that :these grooves, and which constitute flow-channels governing, in part, the progress of the semifluid substances fed through the branch inlets into themachine, each run to the bottom end of the tubefbut only that the tube is characterized .by .externail :g-rooving throughout that part of the tube which lies below a point coinciding with the upper limitof the branch openings. There are, in fact, two functionally independent systems of groovesan u per and a lower systemand the system which lies upperinos't handles approximately one-half the output of the supply branches i3, conducting this portion-0 f the material to ports 19 which are cut through the wall of tube 3 and thus supplying same to the ins'ideof the tube, while the other system is entirely isolated therefrom and receives from the supply branches the remainder of the introduced streams for conducting only this portion of the material along the odtside of the tube to the bottom limit of the latter.

Describing said systems of grooves in more particularity, the upper system is the nature of a belt-channel composed of tour canals 23!, ll-shaped by preference leach extending through an approximate 90 compass :and' bein'g separated one from another by a perpendicular partition :21. The placement of tube Bfwithin tube .7 is such as will locate these partitions on the vertical center line of the inlet openings, :and semifiuid streams from each of two adjacent ibra-nch inlets are hence introduced to each of the "V- cana'ls. Each of the canals feeds to :a respective said port 19, with the latter located to register with the crotch of the Relative to the lower system or grooves, there :are described at the upper end of the system four rather wide channels separated one from another by webs :22 extending downwardly :a-s perpendicular prolongations of the partitions 2]. As will have been understood in course of the above description, and can be :seen from an inspection of Fig. 1, the dividing "wall between the upper and thelower system of grooves makes a juncture with theperpendicu'lar divisions at points coinciding with the axial line of respective branch inlets. Two separate streams are thus fed into each of "the V-can'als, and also into each parent channel of the lower system of grooves, one being supplied from one division of one branch inlet-arid the other from one division of the next adjacent inlet.

Coursingldownwardly along the outside of tube 8, the two streams accommodated by each parent 1 channel are caused to converge toward a narrow throat produced by a flaring of the opposite side walls of each'web 2 2, and leaving this throat are made to enter a series of diagonally directed and crossing canals described by :a multiplicity of diamond-sha-ped blocks 23 which collectively gird the lower extremity of the tube. The blocks are arranged in several vertically spaced rows, staggered and lapped as respects the blocks in one and the blocks in the next adjacent row.

Proceeding now to describe the inner of the three tubes, namely the tube 9, the same extends to approximately the upper limit of the worm l1 without, however, contacting the latter and, internally considered, provides an unobstructed conduit arranged and adapted to make connection at the upper end with a supply line (not shown?) separate and apart from the branch inlets l3. supply line, where the machine is applied to ice cream, operates, preferably, to deliver a fruit mix held at an approximate 59 temperature and pressure fed at, say, 55# to Exteriorly considered, there is provided at the head end of tube =9 a solid collar 2:; extending to approximately the upper limit of the ports 1-9, the body therebelow being generally of a reduced diameter. Below a tapering shoulder and a-t-or about the mid-height of this reduced body there is welded or otherwise rigidly secured upon the external suriace a .severalty of spirally .developed iins12 5 projectin outwardly a distanceradially speaking-suificient to find touching, or approximate touching, engagement with the inrn'er wall of the surrounding tube 8. These fins are each given a bridging form leaving central openings, as :26, which in :each instance occupy positions such that lines projected lperpendicw larly through 'these openings are interrupted above and below the fin in question by the solid end-sot the next adjacent fins. Lying insspaced relation below the said .fins and likewise made integral with the tube 29 are a multiplicity of rib elements 27 each extending perpendicular to the machinefs axis and producing that which, .sectionally considered, :gives much the eiiec't of a honeycomb the cells thereby formed being quite restricted. The material issuing as thin strips from the lower end of these cells feeds directly into the openings described between the .convolute webs of the upper worm 11, being joined therein by the fruit or other suit-able substance issuing from the conduit formed internalis of the tube 9.

The operation will have been lla'rgely apparent from the foregoing. The entering streams fed through the branch irrlets l 3 :are divided, in ithe instance of each branch, into four streams which thereupon follow separate courses, two of these divisions Working in opposite directions through separated V-cana'ls of the upper system 01" the middle tubes external channels and bein each joined by another and :difierently colored minor division of a major stream as the same feed through a related port l9 into the inner of the two treatment zon'es, namely the ZOne described between the tubes 8 and '9. The other two of the four niinor' divisions :of each said major stream will, perforce, have been likewise joined by a differently colored "minor division as the same follow separate courses travelling along the lower system of grooves to the labyrinth-like diagonal passages described between the multiple blocks '23. It becomes unnecessary to trace the exact manner infWhl'Gh these joined minor divisions are caused to be brought together, one with another or two joined minoi' divisions, and again separated, successively; and :suffice it to say that a blending of the colors takes place to cause a veining of the streams as they issue from :said outer treatment zone and are fed into the lower worm 46. Coincident with this treatment, the several divisions of the major streams which have been fed through the ports 59 will have been momentarily merged, then divided by the forced travel through the interstices between the fins 25, and these divisions further divided as the same pass through and emerge from the through-cells produced by the ribbing 21, perforce deriving a similar veining in course of the transition from relatively thick to thin strips. These several strips, wrapped with the fruit mix, likewise traverse the convolutions of the lower worm l6 and are there brought into association with the veined issue of the outer treatment zone, working with the latter to the delivery end of themachine.

It has been my finding, in respect of ice cream, that a change of but a few degrees in temperature will very materially modify the marbleizing results, and the machine is hence quite flexible insofar as results are concerned. The temperature should not, however, drop below 22 F. nor rise above 28 F., for best results.

Numerous departures from the illustrated and described embodiment will suggest themselves to those versed in the art and may be resorted to without sacrifice of the inventive concept. I intend that all forms of construction and variation in detail coming within the scope of the hereto annexed claims are to be considered as comprehended by the invention.

What I claim is:

1. As a method of working a severalty of differently colored streams of semifluid matter into a marbleized pattern, and which comprises, working the streams under pressure through a confined treatment zone and, in course of travel, separating each parent stream into minor divisions, isolating these minor divisions of a common parent one from another and while so isolated joining each minor division of one with a minor stream of another and differently colored parent stream, dividing these joined streams of minor divisions into lesser strips, spirally wrapping a severalty of these strips, and compacting and discharging the several rope-like products of this wrapping step.

2. As a method of working a severalty of.

difi'erently colored streams of semifluid matter into a marbleized pattern, and which comprises, working the streams under pressure through a confined treatment zone and, in course of travel, separating each parent stream into minor divisions, isolating these minor divisions of a common parent one from another and while so isolated bringing the minor divisions of differently colored parent streams into contiguity, again 3. As a method of working a severalty of difi'erently colored streams of semifluid matter into a marbleized pattern, and which comprises, working the streams under pressure through a confined treatment zone and, in course of travel, guidably directing the streams along established individual paths which repeatedly merge only at separated intervals of the length, and collecting, compacting, and continuously discharging the matter as it emerges from these established paths of travel.

4. Given separate and confined treatment zones one in surrounding relation to the other, the method of compounding a severalty of differently colored streams of semifluid matter into a marbleized mass, and which comprises, supplying the streams separately and under pressure to the treatment zones and, before introduction thereto, dividing each of the parent streams into minor divisions, joining a minor division of one with a minor division of another parent stream, joining other minor divisions of said separate parent streams, causing one stream composed of these joined minor divisions to work progressively through the outer treatment zone and another stream composed of said joined minor divisions to work progressively through the inner treatment zone, concurrently, and in course of said travel reducing the streams to lesser strips, spirally wrapping the strips from both of said treatment zones together as they emerge therefrom, and continuously discharging the rope-like product of this wrapping step.

5. The method of claim 4, including the step of pressure-injecting a semifluid stream of a separate substance into the collection of strips emerging from the inner treatment zone and from a point central to the latter.

CONRAD C. A. REETZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,083,275 Eberhard Jan. 6,1914 1,095,979 Eberhard May 5, 1914 60 1,516,841 Buttfield Nov. 25, 1924 1,516,843 Buttfield Nov. 25, 1924 2,171,095 Orsini Aug. 29, 1939 2,174,779 Delorme Oct. 3, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 701,678 France Mar. 20, 1931 

